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Many of us are familiar with civil rights leaders such as Rose Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Many of us are familiar with “Freedom Riders” and the March on Washington. Yet, there are many other events and individuals that have been captured in the Eyes on the Prize series. And here is an exceptional way to become familiar with many more of the participants and events that defined the civil rights movement.

KLRU will rebroadcast the Eyes on the Prize series starting on Juneteenth 2016. This landmark series will be presented to a new generation of viewers and encourage informed dialogue on today’s civil rights issues. KLRU will air the entire 14-part series along with the half-hour special Eyes on the Prize: Then and Now.

Eyes on the Prize premiered in 1987. This groundbreaking series will return in June 19, 2016. Series 1 and Series 2 will be presented over three Sundays starting at 1:00 pm on KLRU-Austin PBS.

The half-hour special, Eyes on the Prize: Then and Now, will re-examine this groundbreaking series from the filmmakers’ perspective and the viewpoint of civil rights activists. The special explores how far we’ve come, how far we have to go, the meaning of the ongoing struggle and next steps towards equality.

Paul Stekler, Chair of Radio-Television-Film at the University of Texas at Austin was the co-producer/director of two of the segments featured on Eyes on the Prize programs #204 and #207. He is also featured in Eyes on the Prize: Then and Now.

Originally produced by Backside, Eyes on the Prize remains the definitive documentary series exploring the civil rights movement. It portrays the story of ordinary people who took extraordinary measures to create a social movement. The television series is one of the most critically acclaimed documentaries on civil rights in America. Eyes on the Prize has won six Emmy Awards and numerous other awards including the top DuPont-Columbia Award for excellence in broadcast journalism.

Through contemporary interviews and historical footage, Eyes on the Prizetraces the civil rights movement from the Montgomery bus boycott to the Voting Rights Act; from early acts of individual courage to the mass demonstrations. Julian Bond, political leader and civil rights activist narrates the series.

KLRU celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with a range of special programs and events that celebrate the Hispanic experience. Year round, KLRU provides content and events that give a diverse perspective on our community.

New programs for this September & October include the documentary On Two Fronts: Latinos & Vietnam.This program, airing on Tuesday, September 22 at 9 pm, examines the Latino experience during a war that placed its heaviest burden on working class youth. Framing the documentary are memoirs of two siblings, Everett and Delia Alvarez, who stood on opposite sides of the Vietnam War, one as a POW and the other protesting at home.

Other programs airing on KLRU for Hispanic Heritage Month:

American MastersPedro E. Guerrero: A Photographer’s Journey
Friday, September 18 at 8 pm
This film captures the life and work of Pedro Guerrero, a Mexican American photographer born and raised in segregated Mesa, Arizona, who goes on to an international career as photographer of master American artists of the 20th century. Using Guerrero’s words, the film gives the viewer an insider’s look into three of the most iconic American artists of the 20th century: Frank Lloyd Wright, Alexander Calder and Louise Nevelson, as well as important images of modernist architecture.

Arts In Context ShortsBarrio Writers
By empowering teens through creative writing, higher education and creative arts, the Barrio Writers are reinstating the term “Barrio” to its original meaning – community, and embracing it. This writing community began with small workshops atEl Centro Cultural de Mexico in Santa Ana, California and have now evolved into week long, intensive programs on university campuses. At the end of the week, the Barrio Writers transform their stereotypes into a place of positivity and become empowered in their own words. Watch more Barrio Writers videos from Arts In Context Shorts

POVDon’t Tell Anyone
Monday, September 21 at 9 pm
In a community where silence is seen as necessary for survival, immigrant activist Angy Rivera joins a generation of dreamers ready to push for change in the only home she’s ever known — the United States. Hers is the quintessential America​n success​ story: Rivera is the author of the country’s first and only advice column for undocumented youth, and her YouTube channel boasts over 27,000 views as she comes out of the shadows to inspire her peers.

Rudolfo Anaya: The Magic of Words
Monday, September 21 at 10:30 pm
Rudolfo Anaya was the first Hispanic American writer to achieve major publishing success with his landmark novel, Bless Me, Ultima, in print since 1972. Recipient of the National Medal for the Arts, Anaya has demonstrated a lifelong determination to persevere – through poverty, catastrophic injury and an almost insurmountable artistic struggle to publish – and in the end, succeed. Rudolfo Anaya: The Magic Of Words is a vital reference to the authentic culture of Hispanic New Mexico. And while the wellspring of Anaya’s stories is New Mexico, his insight is invaluable to understand the quest by all Hispanic Americans for cultural identity, recognition and respect.

Arts in Context “Tardeadas”
Thursday,October 1 at 7:30 pm
Through music and community, the band Los Pinkys is keeping the Conjunto musical tradition alive. Los Pinkys are a traditional-style conjunto formed in 1993 and have been performing around the United States ever since. The band is one of the few who continues the long tradition of the Sunday afternoon performance (Tardeadas). Elderly Mexican-American couples share the dance floor with a new crowd of revelers often experiencing their first sounds of conjunto music.

El Taller
Thursday,October 1 at 9 pm and repeats on Sunday, October 4 at 1 pm.
Proyecto Teatro aims to make the arts accessible to the entire community, regardless of income levels, and to reduce social and cultural differences of society. For actor and director Luis Ordaz maintaining a space that leads to human development through the arts is his main reason to keep Talleres Infantiles alive. Talleres Infantiles is a year round Spanish language art program for mostly low income students. We follow Luis Ordaz and a group of theater students and volunteers as they work together to improve their community while keeping their culture alive.

Annual Imagen Awards
Friday, October 2 at 8 pm and repeats on Sunday, October 4 at 2 pm
The 30th Imagen Awards recognizes and rewards positive portrayals of Latinos in all forms of media, as well as encourages and recognizes the achievements of Latino celebrities and Latino-focused projects, including programs that have aired on PBS. This year’s nominees include America by the Numbers with Maria Hinojosa, the Children of Giant documentary by Hector Galan, Voces, Palmetto Scene: East coast Migrant Head Start, from South Carolina Educational Television and an on-air spot, Jessica Suarez PSA, out of Vegas PBS.

Voces on PBS “Children of Giant”
Monday, October 5 at 10:00 pm
In 1955, Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, James Dean and a massive crew descended on the Texas town of Marfa to begin production on Giant. Now, 60 years later, “Children of Giant” explores the film’s still timely examination of racial prejudice. Film by Hector Galan.

Unity – The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson
Friday, October 9 at 8 pm
The PBS Arts Fall Festival is hosted by international superstar and Grammy-winner Gloria Estefan. The Festival begins October 9 and showcases such titles as Unity, which features 16 songs that inspired musicians from all over Latin America to come together to celebrate and re-imagine hits such as “Smooth Criminal,” “I Want You Back” and “Billie Jean.”

The Hispanic Heritage Awards
Friday, October 9 at 9 pm
Join host Rita Moreno for a celebration of the country’s highest tribute to Latinos by Latinos. The program includes performances and appearances by celebrated Hispanic artists.

Central Texas Gardener
Saturday, October 17 at noon
Meet effervescent Velia Sanchez who designed and maintains a front yard garden complete with colorful meditative nicho. Every month of the year, neighbors stroll through to gather serenity and wonder, along with handfuls of fresh herbs and flowers. Not only only does Velia teach young and old about the wildlife that visit, she also passes along knowledge of Mexican herbal remedies for health and good taste.

On Two Fronts: Latinos & Vietnam, airing on Sept. 22 at 9 pm, examines the Latino experience during a war that placed its heaviest burden on working class youth. Framing the documentary are memoirs of two siblings, Everett and Delia Alvarez, who stood on opposite sides of the Vietnam War, one as a POW and the other protesting at home.

We will be hosting a screening and discussion of the film on Nov. 10th in honor of Veterans Day. For now, we invite you to take a few moments to explore the Veterans memorials in the Austin-area. This map features just a few from San Marcos, Cedar Park, Round Rock, Williamson County and other Central Texas areas. Few additional photos.

We realize this is far from a complete list so we’re asking for your help. Is there a memorial that is important to you that is not included? Leave a comment with the name, location and why it’s special to you and we’ll add it to the map!

We’re celebrating Women’s History Month with programs that feature great women who have made their mark on the world. Join us throughout March to learn more about these leading ladies and how they shaped history.

American Masters Margaret Mitchell — Monday, March 16 at 9 pm
No ordinary writer and no ordinary woman — “Gone with the Wind” created two of the world’s greatest lovers, Scarlett and Rhett, won a Pulitzer Prize in 1937 and has sold more than 30 million copies. Born into Atlanta’s upper crust in 1900, Margaret Mitchell challenged stifling social restrictions at every turn. A charismatic force to be reckoned with, she had a great sense of humor, was one of Georgia’s first newspaper women and was extremely generous with the money she made from “Gone with the Wind.” She struggled with the changing role of women and the liberation of African Americans but also suffered from lifelong bouts of depression, until a tragic accident lead to her death in 1949. This film examines the amazing endurance of “Gone with the Wind” and reveals the seminal events of Mitchell’s life through dramatic re-enactments based on her letters, as scenes from the movie weave together her life and her work.

Independent Lens Wonder Women! –Monday, March 16 at 10 pm
This program traces the evolution and legacy of Wonder Woman. From the birth of the comic book superheroine in the 1940s to the blockbusters of today, this film looks at how popular representations of powerful women often reflect society’s anxieties about women’s liberation.

We Served Too — Tuesday, March 17, at 10 pm
This is a story of a group of young, determined and courageous women during World War II who broke through barriers and shattered stereotypes … the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs).

American Masters Judy Garland: By Myself — Friday, March 20 at 8 pm
Judy Garland had one of the most photographed faces ever to come out of Hollywood – it is stamped as a virtual imprint on our imaginations,a celluloid image frozen in time. She also had one of the most frequently recorded voices of the last century. She was magic, almost mythical. She is as iconic as she is misunderstood. There were her problems, to be sure, but the proof is in the performances, from The Wizard of Oz to the Palladium, from the Oscars to the Grammies. With singular entree to the MGM library, including vaulted screen tests and rehearsal footage, the film is wrapped in Judy’s voice, actually telling her story in her own words. So many outsiders have tried to tell this story and so many friends and family have weighed in – now Judy gets center stage, all to herself. This is her ultimate comeback.

American Masters Harper Lee: Hey Boo — Monday, March 23 at 10 pm
Reading “To Kill a Mockingbird” has been a national pastime for five decades — it is still selling nearly a million copies a year, its classic popularity and power are a common reference. And the courtroom image of Gregory Peck, as the passionate Atticus Finch, gave us an enduring picture for the novel’s message. Behind it all was a young Southern girl named Nelle Harper Lee, who once said she wanted to be Alabama’s Jane Austen. This program explores her life and unravels its mysteries, particularly why she never published again. Illuminated with family photos, revealing personal letters and an exclusive interview with her sister, Alice Finch Lee (100 years old), the film is steeped in the texture of the novel’s Deep South and the social changes it inspired. Tom Brokaw, Rosanne Cash, Anna Quindlen, Scott Turow, Oprah Winfrey and Andrew Young reflect on how “Mockingbird” shaped their lives.

This powerful new documentary from PBS’ American Experience series chronicles one of the most important times in civil rights history. KLRU will show a preview version of the film followed by a discussion.

Freedom Summer: During the summer of 1964, the nation’s eyes were riveted on Mississippi. Over 10 memorable weeks known as Freedom Summer, more than 700 student volunteers joined with organizers and local African Americans in an historic effort to shatter the foundations of white supremacy in the nation’s most segregated state. Working together, they canvassed for voter registration, created Freedom Schools, and established the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, with the goal of challenging the segregationist state Democratic Party at the national convention in Atlantic City. The campaign was marked by sustained and deadly violence, including the notorious murders of three civil rights workers, countless beatings, the burning of 35 churches, and the bombing of 70 homes and Freedom Houses. The film will air on June 24th at 8 pm on KLRU.

KLRU will also feature a short preview of the local show Juneteenth Jamboree, which focuses on the African-American experience in Bell County.

In honor of the new show Freedom Summer: American Experience, KLRU is featuring special programs on the Civil Rights Movement. Look forward to two nights in June for these moving stories.

Tuesday, June 17Austin Revealed: Civil Rights Stories – 7:30 p.m.
Start local: see interviews with prominent Austin citizens about their experience during Austin’s civil rights period, the effect of segregation and what gentrification has meant to the city.

Freedom Riders: American Experience – 8:00 p.m.
Depriving African-Americans of transportation was a key way of oppression until a group challenged the segregation in 1961. Interviews from the freedom riders themselves are featured in this awe-inspiring documentary.

Independent Lens: The New Black – 10:00 p.m.
Centering on the historic fight to win marriage equality in Maryland, this film takes viewers into the pews, onto the streets, and provides a seat at the kitchen table as it looks at how the African American community grapples with the divisive gay rights issue.

Tuesday, June 24March – 7:00 p.m.
The revolutionary March on Washington and Martin Luther King, Jr.’s mind-blowing “I Have a Dream” speech took a lot of work to accomplish, and caused the turning point of the Civil Rights Movement. This documentary excavates the foundation of the monumental protest in honor of its 50th anniversary last year.

Freedom Summer: American Experience – 8:00 p.m.
Over 10 weeks in 1964 known as the Freedom Summer, more than 700 student volunteers in Mississippi joined with organizers and local African Americans in a historic effort to shatter the foundations of white supremacy in the nation’s most segregated state, with the goal of challenging the Democratic Party at the national convention in Atlantic City. The campaign was marked by sustained and deadly violence, including the notorious murders of three civil rights workers, countless beatings, the burning of 35 churches, and the bombing of 70 homes and Freedom Houses.

Juneteenth Jamboree: Texas’ African American – 10:30 p.m.
Focusing on the African-American experience in Bell County, Juneteenth Jamboree 2014 features stories about plantation life in mid-1850s Salado, the “Black Panthers” tank battalion in Killeen, important historical figures and much more.

KLRU broadcasts programming created by and about people from all cultures year-round, from public affairs to history to independent film to kids programming. In celebration of Women’s History Month, KLRU offers a lineup of programs both onair and online focused on women.

Our Women’s History Month offerings begin on with the official launch of the #SheDocs online film festival! The SheDocs series begins with a special online social screening March 3 at 5 pm of Alice Walker: Beauty in Truth. Watch the film and participate in exciting online conversations with filmmaker Pratibha Parmar and Koritha Mitchell, a literary historian and cultural critic specializing in African American literature, racial violence throughout U.S. literature and contemporary culture, and black drama and performance.

#SheDocs showcases 12 documentaries that highlight extraordinary women and their accomplishments. You can watch the following films anytime this month online:

Makers: Women Who Make America
Monday, March 17, 9 pm to midnight
This comprehensive and innovative series, built on an extraordinary archive of interviews, tells the story of one of the most sweeping social revolutions in America’s history, as women asserted their rights to a full and fair share of political power, economic opportunity and personal autonomy. It is a revolution that has unfolded in public and private, on grand stages like the U.S. Supreme Court and Congress, and humbler ones like the boardroom and the bedroom. No individual, nor any aspect of American life, has been unchanged. The series features the stories of those who led the fight, those who opposed it and those — both famous and unknown — caught up in its wake.

Performing Possibilities
Thursday, March 20, at 9 pm
Women are the fastest growing segment of the incarcerated population in the United States. Katherine Craft, seeing a great need for gender-specific programs for incarcerated women, founded Conspire Theatre in 2009 and has been run by Craft and coconspirator Michelle Dahlenburg since 2011. Through the use of theatre, Conspire seeks to provide women prisoners a revolutionary and creative approach to healing from trauma, increasing self-esteem, becoming better parents, and improving literacy. With a deep, abiding belief in redemption, empowerment, and connection through art, the Conspire team is undergoing their most ambitious project yet. No longer satisfied with keeping their organization’s work in the shadows of the penitentiary, they is taking the performances out into the public.

Independent Lens “All of Me” followed by Civic Summit “Obesity, Weight Loss & Body Acceptance”
Monday, March 24, from 8-10 pm
‘All Of Me’’ follows a group of Austin friends, who are morbidly obese, as they make changes in their lifestyles. KLRU’s Civic Summit takes a more in-depth look at the issues and experiences surrounding obesity and weight loss. Learn more about these two programs

Women In Chemistry
Thursday, March 27, at 9 pm
A documentary profiling eight remarkable women who have made important contributions to the field of chemistry. The program follows the lives and careers of eight leading women in chemistry, celebrating their shared chance-taking, thrill-seeking love of science. Against many personal and institutional odds, these women changed the world through innovation and entrepreneurship. Women featured on the program include: Nancy Chang; Uma Chowdhry; Mildred Cohn; Mary L. Good; Kathryn Hach-Darrow; Paula Hammond; Stephanie Kwolek and Kira Mazumdar-Shaw.

Women in Music Night
Friday, March 28, 8-10:30 pmLive from Lincoln Center Patina Miller In Concert, Winner of the 2013 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.Austin City Limits Esperanza Spalding, jazz/soul singer/bassist and Grammy Award winnerHardly Sound The Villettes, an Austin folky-indie-pop band

Women and Girls Lead
KLRU presents stories about women and girls who are making a difference both locally and globally. Watch these inspring stories at klru.org/wagl